FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 25, 2018

Gang Members Convicted of Manslaughter for Fatally Shooting Teenager Outside of Applebee’s in Downtown Brooklyn

Shots Fired as Two Rival Gangs Confronted Each Other on Busy Flatbush Avenue

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that two teenage gang members have been convicted of first-degree manslaughter and other charges for the 2015 shooting death of sixteen-year-old Armani Hankins and for shooting and injuring an 18-year-old.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “These defendants escalated a confrontation between two gangs into a deadly incident on a busy Brooklyn street. Gang and gun violence is senselessly ruining the lives of too many young people and those who participate in such lawless behavior will be held responsible for their actions.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Malik Peters, 19, of Fort Greene, Brooklyn and Tyshawn Simon-Roberson, 18, of Downtown Brooklyn. Both defendants were convicted of first-degree manslaughter, first-degree attempted assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Simon-Roberson was convicted on Monday, January 22, 2018 and Peters was convicted today. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent DelGiudice presided over the trial, which included separate juries for each of the defendants. Simon-Roberson faces up to 40 years in prison and Peters faces up to 55 years in prison when they are sentenced on February 13, 2018.

According to trial testimony, on October 26, 2015, at approximately 6 p.m., members of two rival gangs, the East New York-based “4 to 5” and the Fort Greene-based “900” met up in the vicinity of 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension, in front of an Applebee’s restaurant, and confronted each other. Simon-Roberson pulled out a firearm and fired, hitting an 18-year-old in the leg. When “4 to 5” associates, which included Armani Hankins, ran in pursuit of the fleeing “900” members after the teen was shot in the leg, Peters pulled out a gun and shot and killed “4 to 5” gang member Hankins.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Patrick O’Connor, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Viviane Dussek, also of VCE, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Nicole Chavis, VCE Chief. The case was additionally investigated by Detective Investigator Kolawole Olosunde, under the supervision of Supervising Detective Investigator David Acres, Deputy Chief Edwin Murphy and Interim Chief Joseph Piraino, of the District Attorney’s Investigations Bureau.